Reading the CSU Veterans Writing Workshop celebrates the release of ‘Charlie Mike’, National Military Appreciation Month May 18
Army veterans Ryan Lanham and Ross Atkinson felt another call to duty when they attended Colorado State University. They led the CSU Veterans Writing Workshop. The goal was to give anyone touched by military life a safe place and opportunity to find their voice and write about their various experiences.
Lanham earned her master’s degree in creative writing from CSU in 2021, and Atkinson has a Ph.D. student at CSU School of Education. The CSU Veterans’ Writing Workshop welcomes serving military, veterans, and military families and affiliates for free weekly creative writing sessions.
“What I saw was a circle of strangers who were willing to let their guards down and be vulnerable in this space and write things that have some kind of deep emotional truth and resonance,” said said Lanham. “I love it. I love the writing of the participants. I love helping others tell their story.
Various voices
“Lanham’s primary goal was to publish a book with a diverse set of voices from people who have been impacted by military life.”
Mission accomplished. In the spring of 2020, in the shadow of the pandemic, Charlie Mikethe title of the workshop book, has been published. Charlie Mike comes from the military use of designations of the phonetic alphabet of NATO from the letters C and M, which, for the military, mean “continue the mission”.
Military Appreciation Month is the perfect time for a festive read from writers published in Charlie Mike by the CSU Veterans Writing Project. Join nine of the writers from 5-7:30 p.m. May 18 at Gray’s Peak Atrium, Front Range Community College in Fort Collins.
“Honestly and Brilliantly Written”
“I’m thrilled to see the first attendees of the CSU Veterans Writers Workshop reading their powerful writing,” said Ross Atkinson, founder and current leader of the Veterans Writers Workshop. “We will hear from soldiers and their families who have served in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. This reading is a celebration of the work and words of our brave participants who have written honestly and brilliantly about their experiences of military life.
The Veterans Writing Workshop is supported by the CSU School of Education, the English Department Writing Center, and the Office of Adult Learners and Veterans Affairs, and it will continue in September on campus. The workshop is open to anyone affected by the military in any capacity.
Although copies of the book are limited, Atkinson said it should be available digitally by the fall. For more information about the workshop or the reading, contact Atkinson at ross.atkinson@colostate.edu.
